1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains generally to drainless water coolers and drinking fountains, and more particularly to a free standing water cooler or fountain that does not require connection to a waste water removal system or drain, but which may be readily retrofitted with plumbing for connection to a waste water removal system. The invention further pertains to a drainless water cooler or fountain for dispensing either conditioned or unconditioned water from a pressurized potable water source in which the faucet and drip catch basin are located on the top of the cabinet so the consumer need not bend over or stoop when drawing water or emptying the catch basin.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In applications where waste water removal plumbing is not readily available, drainless water coolers have proven to be a popular means of providing drinking water. As the name implies, drainless water coolers have no drain or means for connection to a waste water removal plumbing system. Instead of a drain, drainless water coolers are equipped with a catch basin or a waste water receptacle for catching the occasional drips and spills. Although the catch basin must be frequently emptied, the drainless feature has been considered desirable since it allows water coolers to be placed in open offices, shops and stores where waste water removal plumbing is unavailable or where the expense of installing such plumbing is not justified by the number of persons who will be using the water cooler. However, as an office, shop or store grows in size, the demand for drinking water will often times increase beyond the intended capacity of the drainless water cooler. Routine emptying of the waste water receptacle may become so frequent as to be impractical. In response to such growth the only solution heretofore available was to retire the drainless water cooler in favor of a more permanent water cooler or a fountain connected to a waste water removal system. The changeover costs of replacing the drainless water cooler with a more permanent drain connected water cooler are appreciable, since the initial investment in the drainless water cooler is lost.
Aside from the inability of prior art drainless water coolers to accommodate growth in water consumption, prior art drainless water coolers suffer from a number of other problems. Generally, the drainless water coolers of the prior art may be grouped into two categories, those which include a self-contained supply of potable water, i.e. bottled water, and hence require no external plumbing, and those which are intended to be coupled to a pressurized source of potable water by means of external plumbing (but nevertheless lack bulkier drain plumbing). Such prior art devices, whether equipped with self-contained water supply or coupled to a pressurized source, are commonly housed in an upright cabinet having a dispensing faucet mounted on the front panel thereof and having a catch basin or waste water receptacle mounted on the front panel beneath the water dispensing faucet. With faucet and catch basin in this location, the average sized consumer must bend or stoop to dispense water from the faucets, and must also bend to remove the catch basin for emptying or cleaning. Quite often, too, the catch basin of the prior art water cooler is cantilevered to the front panel so that passersby may accidentally bump into it and knock it off, usually spilling the waste water in the process.
Another problem with prior art drainless water coolers employing pressurized water sources is with spillage of water from the reservoir. Typically, water is stored within a vented reservoir that depends on a float means similar to that found in water closets to control the level of filling. When sediment or other foreign material builds up on the pivotal connection of this type of float valve, closure is not always achieved and water seeps constantly through the valve and overflows from the reservoir. Furthermore, the entire water supply system of prior art drainless water coolers (including bottled water coolers) is vented to the atmosphere and bacterial contamination and fungus growth will result in unsanitary conditions for the consumer unless frequently cleaned. Also, when both heating and chilling are included the prior art drainless water fountain provides separate hot and cold faucets. Separate faucets are considered less aesthetically pleasing and could increase production costs, unless quality is compromised.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to improve upon the drainless water coolers of the prior art by providing a drainless water cooler which may be easily retrofitted with drain plumbing so that the unit need not be discarded when increased demand for water dictates that a more permanent drain connected system be installed. Another object is to provide a drainless water cooler which eliminates the need for bending or stooping when filling a cup with water or when emptying or cleaning the waste water receptacle. Yet another object is to provide a drainless water cooler with improved valve construction to permit the water cooler to be connected to sources of potable water at line pressure without leaking, dripping or overflowing and which will permit dispensing of heated or chilled water through a common faucet. And yet another object is to provide an entire unvented water supply system that maintains sanitary conditions without cleaning. These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from a reading of the following specification and reference to the accompanying drawings.